immobile

adjective

im·​mo·​bile (ˌ)i(m)-ˈmō-bəl 

-ˌbī(-ə)l,

 also  -ˌbēl

1

: not moving : motionless

keep the patient immobile

2

: incapable of being moved : fixed

immobility

ˌi-(ˌ)mō-ˈbi-lə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• nonmoving
• standing
• static
• stationary

Examples of immobile in a Sentence

The tranquilizer made the animal immobile.

The accident left her immobile.

Recent Examples on the Web

Tube worms are immobile creatures that settle and grow in one place without moving, like barnacles. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024

The irony was cruel, and all-too-glibly repeated around the world: The Man of Steel, laid low and nearly immobile, unable to breathe without a tube. —Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 11 Oct. 2024

After a virus attacked her spinal cord and left her immobile from the waist down at age 13, Emily continued to create with a paintbrush held in her mouth. —Zoey Lyttle, Peoplemag, 3 Sep. 2024

That was compared to the 59.0 for the immobile Cousins who still is getting crushed somewhere by a Steelers defender. —Terence Moore, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English in-mobill, from Latin immobilis, from in- + mobilis mobile

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

immobile

adjective

im·​mo·​bile (ˈ)im-ˈ(m)ō-bəl 

-ˌbēl,

-ˌbīl

: unable to move or be moved

immobility

ˌim-(ˌ)ō-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

immobile

adjective

im·​mo·​bile (ˈ)im-ˈ(m)ō-bəl  -ˌbēl  -ˌbīl 

1

: incapable of being moved

2

: not moving

keep the patient immobile

immobility

ˌim-(ˌ)ō-ˈbil-ət-ē 

noun

plural immobilities